Dry concentrator.



-J. B. JARDINE, Jn.-

DRY- GONCENTRATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED Arlm. 1910.

Patented Jun 6, 1911'.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. B. JARDINE, JR.

DRY GONGENTRATOR APPLICATION FILED M925, 1910.

Patented June 6,1911.

3 slums-SHEET 9.

MMV/WVO z,

J. B. JARDINE, JR.

DRY GONGBNTRATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR.25, 1910. A

' Patented June 6,1911.

3 SH'EETS-SHBET 3.

veyer screw, as in Fig. 7. Below the open top delivery section 6 of the riiiie-troughs isv a launder 7, which receives the concentrates and delivers them through a pipe 7 as seen in Fig. 6.

Within each riile-trough isa conveyerscrew 8. This screw as shown in Fig. 7, has an even spindle except for its ends which are enlarged to form journals within the circular ends of the trough, so that it may be rotated on its axis, The thread or flight of the screw between the side lates of the table frame is tapered from its eginning at one end to its largest diameterat the opposite side plate, and thence said flight continues in its largest diameter through the circular section 6 of the trough, to where the open-top delivery sect-ion 6 begins, at which point said thread or flight terminates, leaving said section substantially clear except for the screw spindle. p

Having thus described the concentrating table, I will now describe its manner of mounting and its shaking movement, by referring to Figs. 1 and 3. 9 is the bed or main foundation of the machine. From the bed rise transverse blocks 10, t-he block at one end being lower than the block at the other end. The table is supported upon these blocks with an inclination downwardly from its head endto its foot, as shown in Fig. 1. The bearings between the table and the blocks -10 may be of any suitable character, though in ractice I prefer the construction shown. B ocks 11, are secured to the table frame, and between these blocks and the bed .blocks 10 are balls 12, which are housed in V-grooves in the meeting faces of the blocks.

' The table can, thusbe moved sidewise and have a lateral shake imparted to it. Its inclination in the direction of its length may be varied by increasing the height of the bed block 10 at the head of the table. In order to imparta side-shake to the table, there is a crank shaft 13 mounted at one side of the bed, in suitable bearings 14. This crank shaft is connected by cross heads 15 and rods 16 to lugs 17 secured under the table. The crank shaft 13 has a pulley 18, which serves the double function of a driving pulley and a fly wheel. The conveyer-screws 8 are driven as follows. The end of each screw is provided with a worm gear 19 which meshes with a worm 20, on a shaft 21, mounted in bearings 22 on the side plate 2 of the tableframe, said shaft having a pulley 21 to drive it. Thus all the conveyer screws 8 are driven in unison and with a uniform speed, but this speed may be varied as I shall present-ly show.

Air is applied to the table as follows.- In Fig. 3, 23 indicates a fan blower, which delivers air into an .accumulator or pressure tank 24. The outlet 25 from this accumulator leads to a pulsator 26. The pulsator dedistribute the air throughout the table. The

pulsator 26, which is shown in more detail in Figs. 4 and 5 consists of a casing the passage through which is controlled by a rotatable valve 32, on a shaft 33, to which rotation is imparted by the driving pulley 34.

The speed of rotation of the conveyer screws Smay be varied in any'suitable manner. For this purpose, I show in Fig. 1, the driving pulley 21 of the worm shaft 21 as being driven by a belt 35 from a pulley 3,6 of the secondary cone of a pair of parallel tapered cones 37 and 38 set on rigid bearings -with their tapers opposite to each other.

Upon these cones is placed a common belt 39 controlled by a shipper motion which controls the speed of the secondary cone by shifting the belt along the cones in a direction parallel to their centers. The head of the table has `a head-plate 40; and the foot of the table has a delivery apron 41 for the tailings.

By the following description of the operation of the machine, its construction and the purpose and function of its several improvements will be clearly understood.

The material to be concentrated is fed by suitable means to the head plate 40 of the inclined table and is immediately agitated by the side-shake impart-ed to the table. As the material continues to descend on the head plate by its own gravity, combined with` mulator at fixed pressure, to intermittently K pass through the pulsator into the main air pipes and through them into the hollow chamber of the table. These air pulsations combined with the violent lateral agitation of the material which is being concentrated cause the different particles to separate and classify themselves according to their specific gravity, the heaviest falling to the bottom during the period between pulsations. which the lighter articles are gradually elevated to the upper strata of the material, and pass over the tops of the elevated rii'fle walls 5 of the successive troughs 5 to be eventually discharged over the apron 41 at the foot of' the table. As the heavier particles reach their proper position according to their relative specific gravities, they settle upon the cloth covering of the screen area, and gradually advance in a downward directionuntil they encounter the projecting ritiie-wall and fall into the troughs, the riiiie wall accumulating them up to its limit of capacity of the screws is possible, without choking or overloading them, because of their taper Hight, which allows for the material gradually settling in the trough, and gives the conveyer capacity to receive said material from the full width of the table and carry it off sidewise.. The screw acting thus as a conveyer, delivers the material at one side and carries it by its straight flight through the circular part 6 of the trough, and crowds it up against the closed end of the trough until it forces said material to discharge upwardly through the open top portion 6 of the trough, from which it falls into the launder 7. This top discharge through the portion 6 is of great importance.

The carrying away of the concentrates is to be performed solely by the screws, and

.only the concentrates but some of the tailings out sidewise through the troughs and to discharge them independently of the screw function. Such undesirable discharge, with its uneven product, would, in fact, take place, if the path to the discharge were relatively open, as, for example, if the discharge opening were in the bottom of the trough, andy unguarded by any regulation. But in the present case, by having ythe discharge opening 6 on top, thefreedom of delivery 1s to that extent impeded, and consequently regulated and the conveying function of the screw is perfect, with the result thatan even and uniform product is had. In short, means are thus provided by which the concentrates as they are delivered to this point by means of the screw, are mechanically discharged through the open-top section 6 without being affected by the violent transverse action of the table, which has a tendency to shift or throw the loose niaterial upon its surface.

As the percentage of concentrates accumulating in the riii'e troughs varies at different times, it becomes necessary to meet this variation by providing with some accuracy for the removal of such varied amounts. This is effected by means for varying the speed of rotation of the conveyer screws. The variable-speed double cone device, here shown, serves this purpose. The percentage or pureness of the concentrates may be thus controlled. In this way, with a fixed feed and a fixed material, -the control of the metallic content of the concentrates or of the tailings can be automatically Vand mechanically obtained.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to Secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a concentrator, the combination of a table inclined in the direction of its length; means for imparting to said table aA shaking movement; a series of transversely vdisposed open-top troughs let into and below the surface of the table, at intervals throughout its length; said troughs extending the full width of the table and opening out beyond one of its sides; and- 2. In a concentrator, the combination of a t-able inclined in the direction of its length; means for imparting to said table a shaking movement; a series of transversely disposed open-top troughs let into and below the surface of the'table, at intervals throughout its length, said troughs having closed sides and bottom and extending the full width of the table and opening out beyond one of its sides and a rotatable conveyer-screw within each trough adapted to convey away to its open end the trough contents.

3. In a concentrator, the combination of a table inclined in the direction of its length; means for imparting to said table a shakin` movement; va series of transversely disposed open-top troughs let into and below the surface of the table, at intervals throughoutits length, said troughs extending the full width ofthe table and opening out beyond one of its sides; rotatable conveyer-screws seated within said troughs and arranged to convey away the trough contents; a common drive, for all of said screws and means for varying the speed of said drive.

4. In a concentrator, the combination ofa table inclined in the direction of its length; means for imparting to said table a shaking movement; a series of transversely disposed open-top troughs let into and below the surface of the table, at' intervals throughout its lengt-h, said troughs extending the full width of the table and opening out beyond -one of its sides; and a rotatable conveyerscrew seated within'each of said troughs, said screw having a thread increasing in diameter in thedirection of the open end of the trough and for the full width .of the table, to convey away the trough contents.

screw having a thread increasing in diame' ter in the direction of the open end of the trough and for the full width of the table, to convey away the trough contents; and

means for simultaneously varying the speed of rotation of said screws.

6. In a concentrator, the combination of a table inclined in the direction of its length;

means for imparting to said table a shakingl movement; a series of transversely dispose closed bottom and open-top troughs let into and below the surface of the table, at intervals throughout its length, said troughs extending the full width of the table and projecting' from one side thereof, said projecting portion having a closed end and an open top; and a rotatable conveyer-screwV in each trough, the thread of said screw terminating short of the open-top project-ing portion of the trough and adapted to deliver the trough contents through said open top.

7 In a concentrator, the combination of a table inclined in the direction of its length; means for imparting to said table a shaking movement; a series of transversely disposed A,operrtop troughs let into and below the surface of the table at intervals throughout its length, said troughs extending the full width of the table and projecting from one side thereof, said projecting portion having a closed end and an open top; and a rotatable conveyer-screw in each trough, the thread of said screw increasing in diameter in the direction of the delivery end of the trough for the full width of the table and terminating short of the open-top projecting port-ion of the trough and adapted to deliver the trough contents through said open top.

8. In a concentrator, the combination of a table inclined in the direction of its length; means for imparting to said table a shaking movement; a series of transversely disposed open-top troughs let into and below the surface of the table at intervals throughout its length, and extending the full width of the table and projecting from one side thereof, said troughs having a closed circular section where they pass through the table side, followed by an open-top section in the projecting portion and a closed end; and a rotatable conveyer-screw in each trough, the

thread of said screw increasing in diameter y in the direction of the delivery end of the trough for the full width of the table, and said thread being of uniform diameter within the circular section of the trough and terminating short of the open-top projecting portion of said tro-ugh, and adapted to deliver the trough contents through said open top:

9. In a concentrator, the combination of a table inclined in the direction of its length; means for imparting to said table a shaking movement; a series of troughs comprising connected sides and bottom closed from end to end and transversely disposed below the surface of the table at intervals throughout its length, and having their tops open to the table surface, with that wall of the open top toward the foot of the table projecting above the table surface to form a riftle, said troughs extending the full width of the table and opening through one side thereof; and a movable feed within saidy troughs for conveying away to their open ends the trough contents.

10. In a concentrator, the combination of a table inclined in the direction of its length; means for imparting to said table a shaking movement; a series of troughs transversely disposed below the surface of the table at intervals throughout its length, and having their tops open to the table surface, with that wall of the open top toward the foot of the table projecting above the table surface to form a rifHe, said troughs extending the full width of the table and opening through one side thereof; and means within said shaking movement; a series of troughsl transversely disposed below the surface of the table at intervals throughout its length, and having their tops open to the table surface, with that wall of the open top toward the foot of the table projecting above the table surface to form a riie, said troughs extending the full widthof the table and opening through one side thereof, and projecting beyond said side, said projecting portion having a closed end and an open top; and rotatable conveyer-screws within said troughs, the threads of said screws terminating short of the open-top projecting portion of the troughs and adapted to deliver the trough contents through said open top.

12. In a eoncentrator, the combination of a table inclined in the direction of its length; means for imparting to said table a shaking movement; a series of troughs transversely disposed below the surface of the table at intervals throughout its length,

and having their tops open to the table 4 away `surface-with that wall of the open to to- .circular section, followed by an open top projecting portion with a closed end; and arctatable conveyer-screw in each trough, the thread of said screw increasing-in diameter in the'direction of the delivery end of the trough for the full width of the table, and said thread being of uniform diameter within the circular sectionl of the trough and terminating short of the opentop projecting' ortion of said trough, and adapted to de iver the troughl contents through said open top.

13. In a concentrator, the `combination of a shaking tableinclined in the direction of its length and com osed of a surface formed of a lineal series o separated screen frames pervious to air, a series of open-top troughs transversely disposed between and below said screen sections, extending the full width of the table, and discharging through one side of said table, rotatable conveyerscrews in said troughs adapted to convey to the delivery ends the trough contents, and a bottom plate impervious to air -whereby a chamber is formed in said table;

and means .for supplyingA air under pressure to said table chamber.

14. In a concentrator, the combination of a shaking table inclined in the direction of its length and composed of a surface formed of a lineal series of separated screen frames pervious to air, a series of open-top troughs transversely ldisposed between and below said screen sections, extending the full width of the table, and discharging through one side of' said table, rotatable conveyerscrews inl said troughs ada ted to convey away to the delivery ends t e trough contents, and a bottom plate im erviousto air whereby a chamber is forme 'in said table;

. and means .for supplying intermittent-blasts pi air under pressure to said table cham- 15. In a concentrator, the combination of a table inclined in the direction of its length; means for imparting to said table a shaking movement; a series of transversely dlspose'd open-top troughs let into and below the surface of the table, at intervalsthroughout its length, said troughs having closed sides and bottom and extending 'the full width of the table Aand o ning out beyond one of its sides; a rotatab e conveyer-screw within each trough adapted tov convey vaway to its open, end the trough contents, a longitudina ly extendin chamber connected to the outside lof t e table and communicating with the open end of said troughs, and a discharge outlet from said chamber. v

16. In a concentrator, the combination of a table inclined inthe direction of its length; means for imparting to said table a shaking movement; a series of transversely vdisposed open-top troughs let into and below the surface of the table, at intervals throughout its length, said troughs extending the full width of the table and opening out beyond lone of its sides; and a rotatable conveyer-screw seated within each of said troughs, said screw having a thread increasing in diameter in the direction of the open end of the trough and for the full width of the table, to convey away the trough contents, a receptacle secured to one side of the table and extending longitudi-k nally of the latter constituting a receiving chamber into which the open ends of the troughs discharge, said receptacle having an outlet.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this s ecic'ation in the presence of two subscribln Witnesses.

JOSE H B.'JARDINE, Jn. 

